Collapsible shipping carton



1964 w. mess COLLAPSIBLE SHIPPING CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13,1962 6 INVENTOR. 5 MAL/J 1. 0/66:

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1964 w. L. mess 3,143,275

COLLAPSIBLE SHIPf'ING CARTON Filed Aug. 13, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,143,275 COLLAPSIBLE SHIPPING CARTON Willis L.Diggs, Jacksonville, Fla., assignor to St. Regis Paper Company, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 13, 1962, Ser. No.216,570 2 Claims, (Cl. 229-52) This invention relates to boxes andcartons of improved construction. More particularly, it relates to boxessuitable for carrying heavy loads and capable of withstanding thestresses resulting from stacking several loaded boxes one above theother. It relates also to the box blanks from which the box isconstructed. In one of its aspects, the invention relates particularlyto poultry boxes suitable for shipping frozen foods such as chickens andthe like while inhibiting the infiltration of moisture and juices fromone box to a box stacked below it.

Despite many new box designs, there still exists a need for a box whichis capable of being constructed using a minimum of material and havingstrength enough to withstand heavy loads while providing a maximum ofshipping space. Ideally the box should be constructed for easy handlingso that it may be readily removed from one place to another. Moreover,the box blanks should be easily prepared and adapted to be stacked oneabove the other in a collapsed condition for economical transportationfrom the point of manufacture to the point of use.

In recent years, large amounts of frozen foodstuifs, especially meatsuch as poultry, have been shipped under refrigeration in cartons ofcorrugated paperboard, cardboard, and the like. Often the foodstuff ispacked in ice which may melt to some extent during shipment. Ideally thebox is designed so that the resulting water will not accumulate in thebox and yet should be constructed so that the water will not run out ofone box and into a box stacked below it. Preferably the material ofwhich the box is constructed will be especially treated to withstandmoisture, e.g., impregnated with wax or other water-resistant substance.

In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of this invention toprovide a box constructed to offer maximum protection for the enclosedgoods in spite of the fact that it is subjected to severe shippingstresses.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a box which isreadily erected from a single blank to provide maximum shipping spaceand yet have adequate strength to permit shipping of heavy materialwithout undue danger of collapsing the box.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a box for shippingfrozen foodstufis, especially poultry, which provides means for run-01fof moisture while inhibiting passage of moisture from one box toanother.

These and further objects of the present invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof to beread in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which likeelements in the difierent views are identified by the same referencenumerals:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box of this invention with certainparts broken away to show the interior construction;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a box of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a crosssection of another boxof this invention;

FIG. 5 is a view of the blank from which the box of FIG. 1 isconstructed; and

FIG. 6 is a view of the blank from which the box of FIG. 4 isconstructed.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a box illustrating theconcept of this invention and generally represented by the number 10.The box is constructed with front side wall panel 11, back side wallpanel 12 and end wall panels 13 and 14. A side closure flap 15 integralwith front side wall panel 11 overlies end wall panel 13 and is affixedthereto as by staples 16. Obviously this could be replaced by a strip oftape or other closure means. Top panels 17 and 18 are foldably connectedto end wall panels 13 and 14 along lines of fold 19 and 20,respectively. Reinforcing panel 21 is hingedly connected to top panel 17along line of fold 22 and a similar reinforcing panel 23 is hingedlyconnected to top panel 18 along line of fold 24.

Each reinforcing panel is of sufficient length so that the top edges 21band 23b abut the bottom of the box when the reinforcing panel is foldedinto the box. It will be noted that each end wall construction issimilar to an inverted right triangle where a top panel is the base ofthe triangle and the reinforcing panel is the hypotenuse. Eachreinforcing panel is thus biased from a top panel towards an adjacentside of the box.

At the bottom edges 24 and 25 of each end wall panel 13 and 14 andintegral therewith are bottom end wall closure flaps 26 and 27,respectively. In the embodiment shown, the length of each bottom wallclosure flap is less than one-half of the length of a side wall panel sothat one bottom closure flap will not overlie another and thus destroythe flat bottom contour of the box.

Bottom side wall closure flaps 28 and 29 are foldably connected alongfold lines 30 and 31 to side wall panels 11 and 12, respectively. In theembodiment shown, each bottom side wall closure flap is wider thanone-half the width of a side panel so that one will overlie the otherwhen all bottom panels are closed. This construction inhibits the flowof fluid from the bottom of an upper box on or into a lower box. It willbe seen from FIG. 2 that when the bottom of the box is closed the endwall closure flaps lie above the side wall closure flaps in thispreferred construction.

Top side wall closure flaps 32 and 33 are provided, the same beingfoldably connected to the top edges of the side panels 11 and 12,respectively, along fold lines 34 and 35. As with the bottom side wallclosure flaps, the width of each top closure flap in this preferredconstruction is greater than one-half the width of an end panel so thatwhen the box is closed one will overlap the other. This constructioninhibits the flow of fluids from the top box into a bottom box. In theembodiment shown, the top closure flaps are closed with staples 36.

It will be noted that the construction provides an especially strongbox. The top and bottom side wall closure flaps are each in overlappingrelationship to provide additional strength. Further, the top closureflaps are reinforced by top panels 17 and 18, each of which is in turnsupported by an end wall panel and a reinforcing flap. Furthermore, inaddition to resisting forces from above and below, the constructionshown will resist lateral forces. This is because lateral distortionwould require at least partial collapse of both top panels.

Each end wall is provided with a handgrip represented by the numerals 37and 38, respectively. These handgrips are located interiorly of the endwall, are preferably closer to the top of the end wall than to thebottom, and are of a design to facilitate handling of heavy loads and atthe same time cushion the hands. Moreover, they aid in strengthing thetop panels and the reinforcing panels. In constructing a handgrip,segments, generally represented by 39 an 40, are cut out of each endwall along bottom cut lines 41 and 42 and side cut lines 43, 44, 45 and46, respectively, and folded intothe box along top fold line 47 and 48,Each segment is then folded upwardly along fold lines 49 and 50,respectively, to provide bottom edges 51 and 52 integral with upwardlyextending portions 54 and 55 the same being in face-to-face cooperativeengagement with a portion of the inner face of each reinforcing panel asrepresented by the numerals 56 and 57. It will be noted that the topedges 58 and 59 of each upwardly extending portion engage the innersides of lines of fold 22 and 24 joining top panels 17 and 18 withreinforcing flaps 21 and 23, thus to provide additional structuralstrength to the box.

In the construction shown, drain notches 60 and 61 are cut into the topedges 21b and 23b of the reinforcing flaps 21 and 23. These notches areso positioned as to be in registry with cooperating notches 6 2 and 63in end panels 13 and 14, respectively, when the reinforcing flaps arefolded overinto their closed positions. Any fiuilds which accumulate inthe interior of the box will drain through the openings provided bythese notches communicating with the exterior of the box. If there is nomoisture problem, the notches may, of course, be omitted. The embodimentof the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6 is similar to theembodiment of the invention illustrated in the other figures and similarparts of the two embodiments will be identified by the same referencenumeral with the addition of the subscript a. As illustrated, theembodiment of FIGS. 4 and 6 is identical with the other embodimentexcept that reinforcing flaps 21a and 23a are provided with additionalfold lines 64 and 65 positioned in an area above fold lines 22a, and24a, respectively, the said lines of fold being biased against theirrespective end panels below the handgrips. As a result of thisarrangement, the sections 66 and 67 above each of the fold lines 64 and65 on reinforcing flaps 21a and 23a lies in face-to-face relationshipwith the inner surfaces of the end panels for a portion of their heightas represented for end wall 13a in FIG. 4. The construction of the otherend wall in this particular embodiment is identical. It will be notedthatthis construction while retaining the increased structural strengthof the first embodiment to a substantial degree provides a considerableamount of increased storage space in the bottom of the box.

The remaining sections of the box are identical as shown in thedrawings. Thus the box is constructed with side panels 11a and 12a, endpanels 13a and 14a, bottom end wall closure flaps 26a and 27a, side wallclosure flaps 28a and 29a, top side wall closure flaps 32a and 33a,handgrips 37a and 38a having inwardly turned segments 39a and 40acomprising lower edges 50a and 51a, upwardly extending portions 54a and55a and drain notches 60a, 61a, 62a and 63a, if these are desired.

The boxes of this invention and the blanks from which they are formedare constructed in accordance with standard procedures using ordinarybox-making equipment of the type Well known in the art. No special orunusual equipment is necessary. Thus the blank is cut and fold linesformed with the ordinary machinery usually employed for this purpose.The blank may be formed into a complete box manually or with the use ofsuitable automatic means.

What has been described is a box or carton whichimpregnated with amoisture-proofing medium such as wax, or more desirably with a syntheticresin, such as a thermosetting resin which in addition to impartingmoisture resistance gives added strength.

While this invention has been particularly described with reference totwo specific embodiments, many apparent variations of the invention willbecome known to those skilled in the art after study of this disclosure.It is to be understood, therefore, that many changes may be made withinthe scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A box of paperboard or similar material, said box comprisingoppositely disposed end walls interconnecting along opposite edgesthereof with oppositely disposed side walls, a bottom wall structureattached along the bottom edges of said end and side walls, top wallpanels integral with and connected to said side walls along fold lines,an upper support panel integral with the top edge of each end wall andfolded to extend inwardly of said box in horizontal position, areinforcing flap integral with and connected to the inward edge of eachof said upper support panels and bent along such inward edges to extenddownwardly and to terminate against the inner surfaces of said' endwalls, handgrips formed in said end walls, each said handgrip comprisinga cut out segment folded inwardly of said box along a line of fold onsaid end walls, each said segment having a bottom panel extendinghorizontally from said line of fold to abut a respective reinforcingflap, each said segment further having an upwardly extending portionrising from its bottom panel and extending along in contact with saidreinforcing flap and of suflicient length so that its top edge abuts theadjacent upper support panel.

2. A paperboard box blank comprising a pair of end wall panels, a pairof side wall panels, said end and side wall panels being interconnectedalong their sides in alternate sequence, at least one bottom wall panelinterconnected along the lower edge of one of the other panels, at leastone top wall panel interconnected along the upper edge of one of saidsidewall panels, upper support panels integral with and extending alongthe upper edges of said end walls panels, reinforcing flaps integralwith and extendingfrom the outer edge of said upper support panels, eachsaid upper panel and its associated reinforcing flap being bendableabout their respective interconnecting edges so that each upper supportpanel may extend horizontally inward from its end wall panel and itsreinforcing flap may extend downwardly to terminate against the innersurfaces of its end wall panel when the blank is erected into containerconfiguration, a handgrip segment cut into each end wall panel, eachsaid segment including a lower panel foldable about a first line of foldparallel with the top edge of the end panel and a second portioninterconnected with said lower panel at a second line of fold displacedfrom said first line of fold by an amount such that when said end walls,upper support panels and reinforcing panels are in their aforedescribederected condition and said lower handgrip panel is folded about saidfirst line of fold to extend horizontally inward, said second line offold abuts the adjacent reinforcing flap, said second portions of eachhandgrip segment being of 'suflicient length to extend along theirrespective reinforcing -flaps and to terminate at their adjacent uppersupport panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,414,703 Snyder Jan. 21, 1947 2,555,581 Dunning June 5, 1951 3,008,627Antliff et al. Nov. 14, 1961 3,014,635 Mairs et a1. Dec. 26, 1961

1. A BOX OF PAPERBOARD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL, SAID BOX COMPRISINGOPPOSITELY DISPOSED END WALLS INTERCONNECTING ALONG OPPOSITE EDGESTHEREOF WITH OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SIDE WALLS, A BOTTOM WALL STRUCTUREATTACHED ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID END AND SIDE WALLS, TOP WALLPANESL INTEGRAL WITH AND CONNECTED TO SAID SIDE WALLS ALONG FOLD LINES,AN UPPER SUPPORT PANEL INTEGRAL WITH THE TOP EDGE OF EACH END WALL ANDFOLDED TO EXTEND INWARDLY OF SAID BOX IN HORIZONTAL POSITION, AREINFORCING FLAP INTEGRAL WITH AND CONNECTED TO THE INWARD EDGE OF EACHOF SAID UPPER SUPPORT PANELS AND BENT ALONG SUCH INWARD EDGES TO EXTENDDOWNWARDLY AND TO TERMINATE AGAINST THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID ENDWALLS, HANDGRIPS FORMED IN SAID END WALLS, EACH SAID HANDGRIP COMPRISINGA CUT OUT SEGMENT FOLDED INWARDLY OF SAID BOX ALONG A LINE OF FOLD ONSAID END WALLS, EACH SAID SEGMENT HAVING A BOTTOM PANEL EXTENDINGHORIZONTALLY FROM SAID LINE OF FOLD TO ABUT A RESPECTIVE REINFORCINGFLAP, EACH SAID SEGMENT FURTHER HAVING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTIONRISING FROM ITS BOTTOM PANEL AND EXTENDING ALONG IN CONTACT WITH SAIDREINFORCING FLAP AND OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH SO THAT ITS TOP EDGE ABUTS THEADJACENT UPPER SUPPORT PANEL.